How To Download & Install The Latest Windows 10 Version

Windows 10 has had a good stint in the time that it has been out, with many calling it the best version of Microsoft’s desktop operating system to date. It’s not that the OS hasn’t had its problems, but that the team behind has been quick to snuff them out. The stability that Windows 10 offers would have been enough for most after the uncertainty that accompanied Windows 8 and 8.1, but Microsoft surprised its user-base with updates that brought significant additions and improvements.

Whether you were initially uncertain of the acclaim Windows 10 has been receiving and have just begun to look into getting it up and running on your PC or are in a situation where you are in need of a fresh install of the OS, you’ve come to the right place. In what follows, we will walk you through the easiest way to download Windows 10 onto your computer, whether it is as an update, directly to an installation medium, or as an ISO file.

2. Under “Create Windows installation media”, click the Download tool now button. This will download the Media Creation Tool (MediaCreationTool.exe) to your PC.

3. Once the download is complete, launch the tool, and you will be greeted by a license terms screen. Click Accept.

4. From the screen that follows, select one of the two options as per your requirement, and hit Next.

Select Upgrade this PC now option if you’re upgrading from an older version of Windows or simply want to force-update your existing Windows 10 installation to the latest build.

Select Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC if you want to install Windows 10 on another computer or do a fresh install on the same PC.

5. Choose language, the Windows 10 edition for which you purchased a license, and the architecture of the PC to which you’re going to install it. Hit Next. If you selected the first option in step 4, you now simply have to wait for the setup to go through its motions.

6. If you selected the second option in step 4, you will now be given the option to specify whether you want to download the Windows 10 setup directly to a USB flash drive, or to your PC as an ISO file.

For the former, you will need to have a USB drive with at least 8GB capacity connected to your PC. Back up any data on it beforehand as the setup will convert it to a bootable drive.

The latter option will simply download an ISO image of the Windows 10 setup, which can then be burnt onto a DVD disc or USB drive using third-party software such as WinUSB Maker. We’d recommend this option as the ISO image can be reused as and when required.

7. Once your bootable DVD disc or USB flash drive has been created, restart your PC, enter the boot menu, and select your DVD or flash drive to begin Windows 10 installation. The key you’ll need to press for the boot menu can be determined by your computer’s – or specifically, its motherboard’s – manufacturer and a quick Google search.

Alternatively, you can enter your computer’s BIOS/UEFI, move your DVD drive or flash drive to the top of boot priority, and restart to get the Windows 10 setup going.

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I'm an engineer, blogger, and graphic designer who loves creating and experimenting with different forms of online content when he's not looking for a mix of inspiration and escape in PC gaming, comic books and anime. You can find me on Twitter and Google+.